While I normally do not read thriller books, I do enjoy reading Lisa Renee Jones' books. This is not one of my favorites. I did really get into this one after a slow beginning. Mia believes she isn't seen by anyone and not confident in herself or appearance. She has two friends that support her and help boost her confidence. When Mia gets set up on a dating app and meets Adam, her confidence increases. Things turn dark and what happens will keep you turning the pages. I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley, the publisher, & author and I am giving my honest and voluntary review.

You Look Beautiful Tonight, is a psychological thriller that begs the question is it always better to be seen. Mia has spent her life blending into the background. So when she begins attracting attention, Mia questions at what price.

This was a dark and edgy tale. It’s very twisty and the reveal of the person responsible for the murders is absolutely stunning. The writing is masterful and I read it in a day. I just couldn’t put the book down. It’s one of those rare books that will stay with me for a time while contemplate everything I’ve read. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

It took a while for me to get through this book but that's not the book's fault entirely. I was also away on holiday so it took me more than a month to flip to the last page. The book started out great for me. It had a great premise though in my opinion, the word invisible was overused. How many times did it have to be mentioned to stress the point home that the protagonist, Mia, feels and likes being invisible?

Anyway, Mia's friend, Jess, makes an account for her on an online dating app where she meets a mysterious man named Adam. She finds herself sharing intimate details about herself to this stranger and couldn't believe it when he continues showing interest in her. For someone who was often overlooked, ignored and always in the background, it is quite a new experience for Mia.

However, things take a turn for the worse when Adam turns out to be a stakler-ish and devious character who has taken it upon himself to force Mia out of the shadows. He wants Mia to stop being invisible, to be participative and more assertive. I hate to spoil the book for other readers so I'm not going to discuss who Adam turned out to be in the end. Given it was a twist that I didn't see coming, it was also a twist which I found not believable.

The book was promising at the beginning but it quickly lost momentum for me so I give it 2 stars.

Living in Nashville Mia is content, yes she feels invisible and hasn’t found love , but she enjoys reading in her apartment above the book store and being alone. Her friend Jess is the complete opposite she loves being the center of attention and is very confident. When Jess signs Mia up for a dating website, Mia is upset but soon finds herself slowing looking at the profiles. When she meets Adam he’s confident and wants to help build her confidence, they begin to talk and text and she finds herself becoming bolder. She begins to receive anonymous notes and one tells her she looks beautiful today. Adam has her changing her hair and dressing different, but all isn’t what it seems. Adam soon shows Mia he has a dark side, and when Mia witnesses a murder she begins to fear she may be blamed for it. Mia realizes Adam is playing a dark game and she may not survive it. Whose writing the notes and who is Adam really?

This book started out slow and didn’t really pick up until about halfway through it. Mia is an invisible girl, or so she believes until she get a mysterious note saying ‘you look beautiful tonight.’ Then she gets one often, ‘ wear your hair down’, ‘ You look good in red’. Secret admirer or stalker? Suspense, mystery, or thriller? Can’t really say much without giving away spoilers. I did enjoy this book and wow what a twist and ending! Did not see it coming!! I received an advance copy for my review. I did enjoy this book as I do with all of Lisa’s books, and I believe you will too if you give it a chance.

I was so intrigued by the premise of this novel, and Mia's love for books and libraries especially resonated with me. However, I struggled to feel engaged with the story. The beginning part with Jess was interesting, but then quickly faded out and I got restless. It felt like there were a lot of unnecessary details and narrative, and the plot itself just wasn't moving forward. At the 10% mark, the reader still hadn't reached the mysterious message promised in the summary.

While this book wasn't for me, I'm hopeful that I'll enjoy the author's future stories more.

I avoid writing critical reviews, since I know first-hand how hard authors work on their books, and I appreciate the effort it takes to construct a novel. This story just didn't work for me, and I'll leave my comment there.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for providing an ARC to read and review. *NetGalleyTop Reviewer.*

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Everything about the title, cover and description really drew me into reading this. I set high standards for this book, and ultimately came out disappointed. The premise of this book is genius but the overall execution could have been better. At times i found this book very bland and boring, When i should have been on my toes. I'm willing to reread this in the future and hopefully change my mind because i do see the potential in this becoming one of my favourites.

I'm glad I did not give up on this book, It starts slow, but definitely picks up! It's a very clever psychological thriller that keeps you turning your pages!
Mia is a quiet and invisible librarian, and she likes her way of life..She is used to being invisible. Then there was Jess, who was this rich, know-it-all girl and her best friend. then there isJack, a co-worker, and her other best friend. And Kara, her boss..
With the help of Jess she creates an online dating profile. Things start getting weird when Mia begins getting notes from a secret admirer. Eventually, things escalate and she finds herself tangled in a dangerous web.
The end is very surprising! did not see that coming!
I highly recommend.this book!
I will share this review on goodreads and amazon.

Mia is an invisible woman. She’s unremarkable and a librarian. She can disappear in a crowd, and she doesn’t stand out. She likes it this way, but her friend has encouraged her to get out of her shell for years. Her friend gets her to sign up for a dating app and Mia meets Adam. Adam pushes her to be freer and let her hair down. But when Adam takes things too far to get Mia to break out of her shell, Mia gets scared. As Adam keeps pushing her for more, Mia wonders how much she can take. Will Mia be able to keep Adam at bay? Or is her life going to get caught in the crossfire?

Okay so I struggled with the first half of this book. Honestly, I don’t think it was the books fault, I was extremely distracted and reading in the hospital ER waiting for my daughter to be seen. When things calmed down, I picked it back up about the 40% mark, and really got into the story. It was paced well, and the story was entertaining. I started to figure this one out, which I try not to do, but I enjoyed how it played out and was written. I enjoyed how Mia was a fly on the wall, but she came out of her shell and learned to live. The sub plots were also engaging and kept me wanting for more.

If you’re looking for a thriller that will keep you in suspense but is also kind of dark, then this one is for you. Thank you to Thomas & Mercer, and @netgalley for allowing me a copy of this e-ARC in exchange for this honest review.

I appreciate NetGalley and the publishers for letting me enjoy this ARC. This book kept my attention but I do feel it was a little drawn out. Lots of details were given where they might not have been needed. There were times where I could not put it down and parts where I was just trying to get to the end of a chapter. I am a book lover so I definitely connected to Mia. I also like my security blankets so I can say I could very much relate to the main character. The twist at the end caught me by surprise for sure. I would read more books by this author if given the chance. Thank you again for the opportunity to read this!

You Look Beautiful Tonight is a thriller you will not want to miss. I loved this one so much and could not put this down. I was sucked in from the very beginning. Mia is the "invisible girl" one that gets overlooked. She is a librarian and such a sweetheart. She has the best core of friends that lift her up when things do not always go a planned. Jess is her best friend and is always looking out for Mia. Jess gives Mia a little push she needs to come out of her shell. Jake is Mia's other best friend and coworker who is always there for Mia. You will love the friendships as Mia gets an admirer in Adam. I love seeing Mia's confidence grow with the help of Adam throughout this one. This is a thriller and you are kept on your toes the entire time of who Adam is and why he is the way he is. I loved the answer to every question I had within this one. You are just going to love this. Go one click this one today and find out what happens and who is behind it all.

I think the writing was kind of drawn out. I’m not usually a fan of horror or thriller but for what it was worth the author did a good job presenting those themes in s way that didn’t put me off the book. Would read more from this author.

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

I was given this book as ARC but I give my honest opinion.
I sit here trying to think of how to review this story. I first said, “what is this a Suspense? Romance? Murder mystery? Keep reading, you love this author’s stories.” I won’t give spoilers for those looking to read this story, I do recommend it, Once again the author has out done herself. Mia has friends, Jess her long-term best friend and Jack her co-worker and best friend, but these friends don’t like each other although they tolerate each other. As the story goes on Mia is always in her head questioning, then it’s suggested to talking to strangers using a dating app. I start and stop reading, screaming, “you’re not listening to her instincts!” This is a Dark, Edgy Fiction that I highly recommend.

You Look Beautiful Tonight
By L.R. Jones

✨Book Review✨

First Sentence: “Blood seeps through the cream-colored carpet, fading into the thick fibers, and a river of life runneth over and under until death do us part.”

Quotes:
“You tie your own hands with self-created insecurity.”
“Sometimes the familiar becomes the crutch that holds us back and even tears us down.”

What you need to know:
- Mia Anderson feels invisible.
- A man with a cartoon profile on a dating app calls her out for her insecurities and has a plan.

Things I Liked:
- Creative thriller concept
- Mia’s POV
- Feeling unsettled- it’s always nice when a book can actually make me anxious instead of passively reading.

Things I Didn’t:
- Slow build up
- Frustrating

Read This If You’re Into:
- Dating apps
- Medium paced thriller
- Books with a lot of books in them
- FMC is a librarian
- You by Caroline Kepnes (2014 novel)


⚠️ Stalking, abuse, manipulation, gaslighting

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/(5)

The ominous cover and title for this book initially drew me in. I was thinking that this was going to be a mysterious stalker thriller, but the twist got me!

Mia Anderson is a self proclaimed invisible woman that works as a librarian in Tennessee. She is quite used to going unnoticed and doesn't go out of her way to put herself out there. Other than her two close friends, Jack and Jess, she keeps to herself. Until one day she receives a series of weird encounters and a message saying "You look beautiful today". After getting in touch with the mysterious note writer through a dating app, she starts to change her behaviour to appease him. From changing the way she dresses, her hair, and even ditching her glasses for contact lenses - she completely changes herself for the approval of this man named Adam.

Although she goes above and beyond to do this, she finally feels like she has the confidence to stand up for herself and sheds her vulnerable persona. She is no longer invisible and people are starting to notice her. However, things with Adam start to take an awful turn when she witnesses a gruesome murder, and now she fears she will become a suspect. Mia realizes now she needs stay onestep ahead of Adam to escape his cunning game.

This was definitely a page turner that kept me intrigued the whole time. I found myself not being able to put down this book because of the suspense. I do think there was maybe a bit too much back and forth with Mia and Adam before we get to the conclusion, but the twist is quite clever and it was not easy to guess. The ending comes a bit quick and I wish there was a meatier conclusion, however it kept me company on a long flight so I can't complain!

This book is anticipated to be released on May 09, 2023. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher Thomas & Mercer for an advanced copy of this ebook to review!

I love this intense, climactic thriller. I was incredibly invested in the characters and plot. Readers are going to love this incredible novel.

Working at a Library always has my mind working overtime. How many stories involve Librarians and twisted murders? Not many but my mind goes to that place all the time. I think it comes from my life of horror. My love of horror books and movies really change my perspective on a lot of things.

Librarians have that stereotype of being quiet, calm, and cardigan-wearing smarty pants. In reality, we are just freaks who google everything. It’s no secret.

When I read that this was about a plain librarian who feels invisible but has a stalkerish secret admirer, I was all in. This is real life and it freaks me out, so I had to read this one. I even got my coworker to read it with me. It definitely gave us both the willies.

The mystery was decent but very obvious. A lot of things were obvious from the start and that definitely takes away from the book. If you pick apart clues as you're reading then this one will be a no-brainer. I was hoping for something more dark and mysterious but this was a great way to spend some free time during the weekend.

Mia was such a vulnerable character that I wasn't surprised that something like this happened to someone like her. I'm not sure if I would trust someone I just met online enough to give them some personal clues as to what my full name is and where I work. Some people just get swept up in the moment. The 2 J's were my favorites in this book. They were way supportive and you always need a few good friends who are willing to travel to the ends of the Earth for you.

You Look Beautiful Tonight was a decent book. I loved the parts that took place in the present more than in the past. The present was so intense that I was gripping my Ipad tightly. I may have broken the screen. That's more of what I was looking for in this book.